Breakdown and Renewal

Donald Macleod explores the lifelong friendship between Brahms and the great violin virtuoso Joseph Joachim - and the music of genius that resulted. Today, heartache for the pair as their mentor, Robert Schumann, suffers a catastrophic breakdown.

Throughout his life, Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) enjoyed the close friendship of two kindred musical spirits: the pianist Clara Schumann and the violinist Joseph Joachim. Yet whilst his relationship with the former is much-pored over - friends, colleagues, maybe lovers? - his deep musical connection with Joachim is often passed over. This week, Donald Macleod explores the adventures, trials and tribulations that Brahms and Joachim encountered through their four-decade-long association and the musical masterpieces for violin that resulted. Donald presents the three movements of the Violin Concerto across three days in three utterly beguiling, and very different, recordings by Vadim Gluzman, David Oistrakh and Janine Jansen; plus, Friday brings a complete performance of the often-overlooked Double Concerto for Violin and Cello. In between, we'll hear all three violin sonatas in their entirety and a host of jewels from Brahms' chamber output - plus a rare piano-duet performance of his First Symphony by the Duo Crommelynck, and on Friday, a guest appearance from Brahms and Joachim themselves.

After a year feeling on top of the world, Brahms and Joachim's world came crashing down when their mentor, Robert Schumann, suffered a catastrophic breakdown in 1854. Brahms would then deal with further heartache as his First Piano Concerto is ravaged by critics. Featuring the composer's lyrical and much-loved Violin Sonata no. 1.

Regenlied, Op 59 No 3
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone
Jörg Demus, piano

Geistliches Lied, Op 30
Choir of King's College Cambridge
Christopher Hughes, organ
Stephen Cleobury, conductor

Piano Concerto No 1 in D Minor, Op 35 (3rd mvt)
Paul Lewis, piano
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Daniel Harding, conductor

Violin Sonata in G Major, Op 78
Josef Suk, violin
Julius Katchen, piano

Produced by Steven Rajam for BBC Wales.